Game Thread GAME# 81: TIMBERWOLVES @ BLAZERS - APRIL 9, 2016 - SATURDAY, 7:30 PM (PDT), CSNNW

[Darkwebs]

2015-16 Regular Season Record
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
27 - 52
(14-26 Road)
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
43 - 37
(27-12 Home)



______________________________
---------PROBABLE STARTERS---------

PG

RICKY RUBIO VS DAMIAN LILLARD

SG

ZACH LaVINE VS C.J. McCOLLUM

SF

ANDREW WIGGINS VS MAURICE HARKLESS

PF

GORGUI DIENG VS AL-FAROUQ AMINU

C

KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS VS MASON PLUMLEE


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WHEN: 7:30 PM (PDT), SATURDAY, 4/9/2016​

WHERE: Moda Center, Portland, OR

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

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--------------BENCH--------------

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

JONES , MUHAMMAD , PRINCE

RUDEZ , PAYNE , BJELICA , SMITH

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

ROBERTS , HENDERSON , CRABBE , MONTERO

CONNAUGHTON , VONLEH , DAVIS , KAMAN


INJURIES
TIMBERWOLVES
Nikola Pekovic (right Achilles): OUT
Kevin Garnett (knee): OUT
TRAIL BLAZERS
Meyers Leonard (dislocated left shoulder): OUT


HEAD COACHES

- VS –

SAM MITCHELL --- TERRY STOTTS



OFFICIAL TIMBERWOLVES' GAME NOTES
OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

• Saturday marks the fourth and final regular season matchup between the Trail Blazers and Timberwolves in 2015-16.

• LAST MEETING: Portland defeated Minnesota, 96-93, at the Moda Center on Jan. 31. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum both scored 21 points apiece.

• The Trail Blazers have won four straight games against the Timberwolves, including all three contests in 2015-16.

• The Trail Blazers have won eight consecutive games over the Timberwolves at the Moda Center.

• Portland is 12-3 in its past 15 games against Minnesota dating back to the 2012-13 season.

• A win for the Trail Blazers would represent the team’s sixth season sweep over the Timberwolves in the past nine seasons.

• The Trail Blazers are 10-4 against Northwest Division opponents this season (6-0 at home), while the Timberwolves are 3-12 against Northwest Division opponents (2-5 on road).

• Damian Lillard has averaged 24.7 points on 46.3% shooting, and 7.3 assists in three games against the Timberwolves this season.

• Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns has averaged 19.7 points and 10.0 rebounds in three games against Portland thisseason. Towns has logged two double-doubles against the Trail Blazers this season, including a 21-point, 13-reboundperformance at Portland on Jan. 31.

• The Trail Blazers overcame a 17-point defi cit in each of their first two games against Minnesota this season (+24 pointdifferential in the second halves of those two games).

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Trail Blazers lead, 76-29
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 42-11
AT THE TIMBERWOLVES: Trail Blazers lead, 34-18

​

 

[KeepOnRollin]

I was looking up some stats for the over/under segment and came across that KAT has 15 straight double-doubles for the Wolves. That is just sick for a rookie.

 

[riverman]

This is a must win...trap game..need to play 4 qtrs. of beast mode! Go Good Guys!

 

[Draco]

2 years; us. We have DameCJ who are 25/24 and we will build on their timeline.

5 years; sadly would have to go with Minny. Towns has more value than any young player in the league. They're still years away from putting it together but they have dynasty potential. If they get a top draft pick; oh my.

 

[Draco]

This is a must win...trap game..need to play 4 qtrs. of beast mode! Go Good Guys!

I think I've heard some poster every one of the last 7 games outside the Warriors game say its a "must win".

It would be an awesome win; may have us clinch the 5th seed and have a practice game to finish the season. That makes it a lot of things; but certainly not a "must win"

I'd gladly trade a "must win" tomorrow for a playoff win that still isn't a "must win".

A "must win" in absolute terms is only an elimination game. I'd argue any game that swings odds of winning a series below 20% to be a must win as well. Game 1 of the playoffs isn't a must win; but even it is vastly more valuable than any of these regular season games we've played.

 

[riverman]

Peaking at the right time makes it a must win for me and now's a good time to peak..get 7 players in double digits and tighten up the defense...go into the playoffs with some swagger... every win gets us closer to locking up the 5th seed and not facing a tie breaker with the Mavs...Go Blazers!

 

[Shaboid]

I'm confident the Blazers play well at home vs. this also young Timberwolves team. One thing I will say is that it isn't easy to beat a team 4 times in one season, especially one that is playing some pretty good ball as of late. Either way, I think Minnesota loses their last of 3 away games in 5 days and we lock up the 5 seed. Then Minni beats the Rockettes on Monday to knock them out of the playoffs! Go Blazers!

 

[Pinwheel1]

2 years; us. We have DameCJ who are 25/24 and we will build on their timeline.

5 years; sadly would have to go with Minny. Towns has more value than any young player in the league. They're still years away from putting it together but they have dynasty potential. If they get a top draft pick; oh my.

Things are certainly looking up for the Wolves. It will be interesting to who they draft. Right now we have the better PG and for me that trumps all other positions. Will they go after PG Kris Dunn? PF Sabonis? Or Maybe an outside shooter-Buddy ?

The thing about the NBA is things can change in a hurry. The right draft pick, trade, free agent....or the wrong injury. A lot can happen in 2 years, let alone 5.

 

[Draco]

Things are certainly looking up for the Wolves. It will be interesting to who they draft. Right now we have the better PG and for me that trumps all other positions. Will they go after PG Kris Dunn? PF Sabonis? Or Maybe an outside shooter-Buddy ?

The thing about the NBA is things can change in a hurry. The right draft pick, trade, free agent....or the wrong injury. A lot can happen in 2 years, let alone 5.

Yeah the NBA changes so much every two years; players always age much faster than we expect too.

It would be kind of funny if the Wolves became a powerhouse in 3 years and knock out the Cavs in the finals.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

2 years; us. We have DameCJ who are 25/24 and we will build on their timeline.

5 years; sadly would have to go with Minny. Towns has more value than any young player in the league. They're still years away from putting it together but they have dynasty potential. If they get a top draft pick; oh my.

In 5 years, KAT will be playing for the Lakers....

 

[Draco]

In 5 years, KAT will be playing for the Lakers....

Star players don't hit unrestricted free agency until year 9, so no.

 

[Elton]

Doin' this with my kids before the game. Excellent Saturday.

 

[Strenuus]

Doin' this with my kids before the game. Excellent Saturday.

Oh god, that looks like pure hell to me.

Enjoy!

 

[Elton]

Oh god, that looks like pure hell to me.

Enjoy!

Best damn roller coaster I've ever ridden.

 

[kjironman1]

Doin' this with my kids before the game. Excellent Saturday.

I'd end up doin it two or three times for sure. Have fun.

 

[Elton]

I'd end up doin it two or three times for sure. Have fun.

You would--it's incredibly intense yet reassuringly smooth.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Minnesota is one of those teams where people say "this team will be amazing in a couple years" and it never happens. Shit franchise. Shit city. Fuck the timberwolves.

 

[Draco]

Minnesota is one of those teams where people say "this team will be amazing in a couple years" and it never happens. Shit franchise. Shit city. Fuck the timberwolves.

We'll they've won double the playoff series we have in the last 15 years. Some fan bases probably think the same of us.

The Rubio-Love-Pek team was entertaining to watch, had Adelman coaching. Won 40 games in a brutal western conference.

They've had some stupid GM's though; obviously Kahn but before that McHale made a lot of mistakes. If they hire Thibbs this summer could get interesting.

 

[Elton]

I'd end up doin it two or three times for sure. Have fun.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I would throw up, then have a heart attack and die.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

We'll they've won double the playoff series we have in the last 15 years. Some fan bases probably think the same of us.

The Rubio-Love-Pek team was entertaining to watch, had Adelman coaching. Won 40 games in a brutal western conference.

They've had some stupid GM's though; obviously Kahn but before that McHale made a lot of mistakes. If they hire Thibbs this summer could get interesting.

We went through a drought. They made the playoffs 8 times and have one division title to show for it in the almost 30 years they have been a franchise. They haven't been in the playoffs for over a decade. One of the longest streaks in the league (Kings might be the only team longer?)

We heard it with Rubio, Love etc that they were gonna be so good in the future, and they suck huge dicks. Towns and Wiggins will want to leave after their first extensions.

As a whole, our franchise eats pieces of shit like them for breakfast.

 

[THE HCP]

Game 81

 

[ripcityboy]

We went through a drought. They made the playoffs 8 times and have one division title to show for it in the almost 30 years they have been a franchise. They haven't been in the playoffs for over a decade. One of the longest streaks in the league (Kings might be the only team longer?)

We heard it with Rubio, Love etc that they were gonna be so good in the future, and they suck huge dicks. Towns and Wiggins will want to leave after their first extensions.

As a whole, our franchise eats pieces of shit like them for breakfast.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

One of the best movies of all time. Why can't that Adam Sandler come back? All his recent stuff is absolute garbage.

 

[ripcityboy]

One of the best movies of all time. Why can't that Adam Sandler come back? All his recent stuff is absolute garbage.

He stopped working with Tim Herlihy. His writing partner at SNL. Herlihy was one of the best writers in SNL history. Along with Bob Odenkirk, Jim Downey, Conan O'Brien, Robert Smigel, Bonnie and Terry Turner .... they wrote some of the greatest sketches in TV history. Look up 'The Herlihy Boy' sketch with Sandler and Chris Farley to see how good Tim Herlihy was. Sandler starts to lose it a few minutes in. I miss Chris Farley so much.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

One of the best movies of all time. Why can't that Adam Sandler come back? All his recent stuff is absolute garbage.

I don't think he wants to come back. He doesn't seem to care about what people think of his movies as long as he keeps making money. I can't say I really blame him.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

 

[42N8Bounce]

Tonight's game program cover.

Nice!

 

[Strenuus]

No Mark Mason again.

 

[Jade Falcon]

Let's go Blazers!

I have a feeling KAT is going to eat Plumlee for dinner. But it will be interesting to see how KAT and Davis match up if they get on the floor at the same time.